


All Because of a Cup of Tea

by oshkot



Series: Peggy-O [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29045289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oshkot/pseuds/oshkot
Summary: Levi thinks relationships are meaningless
Relationships: Levi & Reader, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) & Original Female Character(s), Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s), Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader, Levi/Reader
Series: Peggy-O [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2111346
Kudos: 18





	All Because of a Cup of Tea

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise for any mistakes I have made

She’s been overly energized, he could tell. Smiling too much, talking too much, laughing too loudly. He never understood why people would go through something like this: give yourself to someone, only to be turned into a wreck like that. No matter how much she denied, she was definitely not all right. How long does it take to forget your lover? A month? A year? He never wanted to know. 

“Hey bleachy, where are you going?” Levi asked annoyed.

For the last hour she has been scrubbing and disinfecting her tools. Her coat was neatly folded on her bag and her medical forms were sticking out of it.

He had visited her office for his usual cup of tea and was amazed to see the line of patients standing in front of her door. Today it was the longest in the last three months. 

“Mrs. Lindberg is having problems with breathing again. I promised I would call on her this evening” she answered, quickly stashing her tools in the bag and putting on her coat.

Levi frowned. Hell, this girl was overworking herself.

“You know you’ll drop dead right? You’ve already seen 27 patients today and now you’re doing house calls?” he said annoyed

“But I have to!”

“Bullshit! It’s not your day today is it? Where’s that annoying little shit? He’s supposed to be doing house calls today” Levi said looking around impatiently.

She shook her head. “You don’t have to be so mean to him you know, he’s really helping me out” 

Levi grunted. “Sure he is. He’s so rude to patients, nobody wants to go to him and they all end up coming to you” he muttered. 

Margaret gave him a teasing look “Funny that you mentioned his grumpiness” 

“I’m not supposed to get along with other people, that’s eyebrows’ job” 

She grinned and walked towards the door. His attemps were all in vain.

“Still, it wouldn’t hurt you to be a little bit more social you know” she winked at him “You’re scaring off all the ladies”

“I have no intention on entertaining their shitty impressions of me”

Margaret chuckled straightening her dress. Lately, her normally full figure had been looking smaller and he noticed that she looked paler than usual. 

“Anyway Levi, I’ll see you tomorrow at the ball right?” 

He had forgotten about that. Time after time, Erwin liked to dress them up for stupid pigs and flaunt them at their disgustingly huge houses.  _Humanity’s Strongest. You need to pay for his sake. He will protect us all._

“Yeah, I’ll be there” he grunted “That shitty eyebrows won’t shut his shitty mouth if I don’t come”

Margaret nodded pleased with his answer. 

“Till tomorrow then, Levi” she smiled and closed the door behind her.

The ball looked as boring as he had imagined it to be. Aristocratic pigs dressed to their best, swirling around and talking bullshit to each other, never even meaning a word. 

Disgusting.

He was aching to leave this place, as soon as possible, but his promise to his Commander was keeping him chained to this place. 

_ At least till 10 o’clock. Then I disappear. _

He looked around the hall. His comrades were scattered all around the place. Erwin was sweettalking money bags, Hange and Mike were looking equally lost as him. There was another officer whose name he always seemed to forget with Squad Leader Gordon who was watching the ladies shyly, as they walked around in their revealing dresses. 

They did not fit in here. The sooner Erwin understood that the better. Sure, it was important to seek fundings, without money, they couldn’t afford anything, but flaunting his elite soldiers was not a good idea. Didn’t Erwin know Levi was not good with impressions? 

He sighed running his hand through his hair. It was going to be very long three hours. 

He noticed Erwin walkimg towards him with a drink. 

_ Great, another talk about the necessity to be charming and pleasant.  _

“How is the hiding game going?” Commander smirked noticing Levi’s sour expression. 

“Just fine”

“Well... can’t say I’m glad about it.” he said taking a sip from his glass. “Miss Erfurt has been asking about you the whole evening. She wants to hear that story about you and four titans” 

Levi grunted and glared at his Commander.

“I’m sure you can tell that story on your own just fine, no need to flaunt me in front of those pigs” 

Erwin smiled. “You know, Levi... It wouldn’t hurt you to relax a little” 

“I am relaxed”

“You most definitely are not” Erwin said eyeing him playfully. “What I’m saying is you need to let out your steam a little” 

Levi suddenly felt very angry.

“Of course! It’s all about getting laid isn’t it? And who should I fuck? Should I find a whore then?”

“I’m sure there are women who are willing to do it for free” Erwin smiled taking another sip from his glass. “Who wouldn’t love to warm Humanity’s Strongest’s bed” 

“Good thing I don’t need a warm bed then, I don’t even sleep in it” Levi muttered angrily. 

Erwin gave out a hearty laugh.

“Levi, jokes asaide” Commander said putting his hand on his shoulder. “You should look around, there are plenty of pleasant looking ladies here. Not everyone here is from noble families you know? I’m sure you will find someone who is at least accaptable for you” he said seriously. 

Levi looked around the hall. Pink, blue, red, green, breasts too big, too small, too much make up, not enough... the list could go on. He had never entertained the idea of having a woman. Back in the Underground such relationships were always fleeting, without commitment. Just long enough to satisfy one’s need. Having a woman was expensive and in the Underground you only earn enough to servive yourself. Since he’s joined the Survey Corps... Well... he now had enough money to entertain a lover, but the more he thought about it, the more critically he viewed the other gender. Besides, what good did relationships bring? He had seen enough heartbreaks to avoid them alltogether. Love made you weak and he hated weaklings. He didn’t think there was anyone who would change his mind about it. All the women around him were plain and dull, too delicate for him. Sure they were infatuated with him, more with the name he carried, but as soon as they got closer and he opened his mouth to speak... they all suddenly went from charming flirts to shocked ugly toads. No proper lady would want to hear rude remarks and toilet jokes. 

Levi sighed. Erwin was trying in vain. 

Suddenly a smell of oranges filled his nose. He looked on the right to see the Commander talking to a lady dressed in purple. Her hair was pulled up messily exposing her bare back to him. Levi moved a little closer and inhaled deeper. Oranges and soap... He had smelled that soap before, back in the Underground when his mother would wash his clothes on sundays. 

“Don’t you agree Levi?” Erwin’s voice brought him back to the hall. 

“What?” he blinked confused

“Margaret should seek a place in Mitras!” his comrade smiled “She’s too young to get stuck in Trost District”

The woman turned around abruptly and Levi saw that annoyingly white smile that made his stomach flip and eyes hurt. 

“Hey there! I thought you decided to stay home and sulk” she said laughing loudly.

_ There it is, she’s overdoing it again.  _

“I told you bleachy, I made a promise” he said in an annoyed voice. 

“Well you’ve been hiding really well then” she smiled “Those two girls have been looking for you everywhere, they say the charming Captain ows them  that  story” she giggled.

Levi glared at the Commander.

“Seriously Erwin, don’t you know when to shut your shitty mouth up?” 

Erwin just smiled and shrugged.

“Well, I can’t keep all those stories to myself you know? Gotta keep people interested” he finished his drink and put the glass on the small table next to him. “Now I must leave you my friends, I just saw Lord Amsberg. Better go and greet him, no need to seem rude with our dearest supporter” he said straightening his jacket “and you Levi... think about what I’ve said and look around you, closely” he added before walking away. 

_I will punch you eyebrows, just you wait._

“Yeah, good luck with that old smelly guy” Margaret muttered under her breath. “I know what kind of supporter he is, makes you think he’s so generous and noble and as soon as he’ll use you, there comes a knife in your back!” she hissed. 

Levi eyed her carefully. Never had he heard prim and proper doctor talk ao badly about anyone. 

“An acquaintance of yours?” he asked

“An old one” she nodded. “I’ve told you about my grandfather, he was friends with lot of trash out there. Much like Erwin you know? He didn’t like all of them of course, but... You gotta be on good terms with the important ones, if you need to achieve anything” she said taking a sip from her glass. 

Levi noticed her cheeks and nose were already flashed a little. 

“May be ease up on drinking a little” he asked in a bored voice. 

The doctor gave him an angry glare. 

“May be you should mind your own business? hm?” 

“No need to get all worked up bleachy, just don’t want you to cause a scene, our prince charming there has been working his ass off over there, don’t want you shitting all over his plans, just because some shitface left you and you decided to drink yourself to death in despair” 

As soon as he said that, he regretted it. He saw her eyes widen a little and she blinked several times before looking away and clitching the glass tighter. 

“I’m fine” she mumbled.

“Sure you are bleachy” Levi said in an annoyed voice. “You’ve been overworking yourself this past three months, you’ve lost weight, you barely get till the end of the day without sleeping in your chair at least once. So you even sleep at night? Hm?” he said looking at her “You’re just a ghost of a person you used to be Margaret. How do you intend to go on working like that?” 

She was still avoiding his gaze.

“Margaret” Levi sighed “I know I sound like an asshole right now, but, I know you are not fine. If you need to cry your eyes out and sulk, go to Hange” he said calmly “But you need to at least get over that shit. One way or another. Or else you’ll go crawling back to him” 

Margaret looked at him with amused expression. 

“I would never go back to  that Levi, I don’t recycle” she said lifting her eyebrows. “It’s just... It’s not that I still... feel... something...” she said looking down. “ I just... I feel like a failure”

What was he supposed to answer to that? Levi hated emotional talks, he never knew the right words or gestures to comfort someone. Somehow Margaret seemed to know that as she didn’t wait for his answer. She put her glass down next to Erwin’s empty one and gave him a shy smile. 

“I promise I’ll try to make some time for you tea time on monday” 

“Yeah, no big deal about it” he said in a bored voice. 

Margaret chuckled lightly and linked her arms with his. He noticed her shoes made her even taller than him.

“Still, I’ve been neglecting my grumpy friend, devoiding him his precious tea” she smiled gently. “I’ll make it up to you” 

Levi didn’t answer her. He couldn’t remember when he started considering her as his friend,  _if_ he even started it. Sure they’ve been spending their afternoons together time after time and although he though her constant talking was annoying, she was not as crazy as that shitty four-eyes and didn’t ask him too many questions. Their tea time was mainly spent with her sharing her different ideas about subjects and him silently listening to her, mostly for the sake of that amazing tea she brewed. Plus, she was not messy. That’s what he told himself anyway. 

Still, her arms around his felt comforting, her smell slowly tickling his nose and soothing his nerves. May be they were friends after all...

Suddenly he saw a familiar black-haired guy talking to some old pig. His tall and lanky figure clad in brown suit, his thin lips smiling slightly as he nodded to the man he was talking to. Suddenly the comfort he was feeling was gone alltogether and Levi wanted that long nose to bleed over his fancy clothes. 

“What’s wrong?” Margaret felt him tense. 

Levi took out his watch. 09:30. 

_ Fuck it Erwin, I’ve already suffered enough.  _

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked looking at his target again. The shitface was now smiling at some old hag with featherly hat and disgustingly green dress. 

“Well, I guess so” she mumbled looking down at her feet “This shoes are killing me anyway.” 

Levi pulled her closer and quickly moved her to the door. 

“You’re in a hurry” she stated curiously

“Just tired of those shitheads” he mumbled as they descended down the stairs and out on the streets of Mitras. The quiet outside contrasted the loud music and chatting that was coming out of the open windows. Levi turned around to face his companion who had already taken off her heels and was pulling on some flat shoes on her toes. 

“Thank walls I remembered to bring them with me” she sighed happily. 

“You’re quite a lady, aren’t you?” he said looking annoyed at her. 

She just shrugged and smiled.

“If I were, we wouldn’t have been friends” she winked him. 

True. No lady would bear him. 

“So where are you staying?” he said looking around. He hated Mitras, all the lords and nobles prefered to live here. The houses were too fancy, the streets too crowded, the air even shittier than in any place inside the walls.

“My aunt lives here, I’m staying at her place, it’s not far from here” she said looking on her left. 

“Oh right, I forgot” Levi said in an annoyed voice “you’re related to these pigs, your majestly” 

She just rolled her eyes.

“If you want to walk me home, you can, but no name-calling! I mean it” she said sternly.

“Whatever bleachy” he said following behind her. 

The early April evening was slightly chilly. They were walking side by side, not looking at each other. Levi was grateful that for once she wasn’t talking his ears off, the noice at the ball had already given him a headache. They turned on the left from the main street and Levi found himself on a narrow street with small, dimly lit houses. Each had a small garden in front of them, some even see-saws and swings for children. So this what growing up in Mitras felt like...

“I know why you left so hurridly” he heard her say next to him. He glanced at her. 

“I was just tired and you looked like you were going to shit soon in your pants from all the drinking” he said looking away from her.

He heard Margaret chuckle.

“Levi, I saw him too” she said gently wrapping her arms around his again. “thank you for looking out for me grumpy” she added in a lower voice.

“tch, whatever” he didn’t need to look at her to know she was grinning. 

They stopped in front of one of those ridiculous houses. She untangled her arms from his and turned to smile at him. 

“I’ll see you on monday then” she said

“yeah” he agreed. 

She gave him her pearly grin again and hurried up the stairs towards the door. 

Levi didn’t wait to see her go inside.

The walk towards his inn was a long one. His left arm was strangely itching, his feet were suddenly all wobbly, his stomach was slightly burning, he could still feel that weird tickling in his nose... 

He hoped she would keep her promise on that tea.


End file.
